Ventilated shoetree



April 18, 1939. P. s JONES VENTILATED SHOETREE Filed April 22. 1938 Patented Apr; 18, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VENTILATED SHOETREE of Massachusetts Application April 22, 1938, Serial No. 203,543

3 Claims.

My present invention is a novel and improved shoe tree, and more particularly a shoe tree with a substantially solid forepart, having considerable ventilating capacity, together with adjustability 5 both lengthwise and widthwise of the shoe in which it is inserted.

Heretofore various efforts have been made to provide a ventilating shoe tree having a wooden forepart and either with or without a wooden 1O heel-engaging portion, the wooden forepart being highly desirable for the treeing action on the forepart of the shoe.

Means for ventilating in the wooden forepart is also highly desirable, particularly in a shoe tree used by the wearer to hold shoes in shape for use. Such prior efforts to provide ventilation have been unsatisfactory either because of the expense involved, lack of circulation throughout the ventilating portion, or otherwise.

My present invention is directed to obviate all such prior difficulties in shoe trees having a complete or wooden forepart, and, furthermore to provide an extremely simple, economical construction with practically complete ventilating capacity, permitting free circulation of air throughout the ventilated portion of the forepart while in actual use in shoes.

A further important feature of my present invention consists in the capacity for lateral adjustment of the wooden forepart, thus permitting a single standard size of shoe tree to fit shoes of a considerable differing range of sizes widthwise, as well as lengthwise adjustment.

This feature of widthwise adjustment, automatically enabling the forepart to be self-ad justing to shoes of varying widths and all in an extremely simple, inexpensive, and eificient construction, is of great importance in the present invention.

A further feature consists in the making of a shoe tree with a wooden forepart extremely light in weight and with complete collapsibility lengthwise, thus enabling the same to be compacted into a small area and facilitating portability.

In carrying out my present invention, I provide a wooden forepart of suitable contour, and a heel-engaging portion with a pair of collapsible links for quick expansion and collapsing of the shoe tree, together with a further longitudinal adjustment. This feature of longitudinal ad- J'ustment in an extremely simple method, with a rotatably threaded member in the forepart gives a range for longitudinal adjustment, which, when once effected, can then be left in permanent posi- 55 tion, the collapsing of the links and expansion of the same providing for the removal from and insertion in the shoe.

In carrying out my present invention I provide a suitable wooden forepart and out therefrom a complete ventilating portion around the 5 center, removing the material of the forepart vertically from top to bottom. This area is relatively large, giving full ventilating capacity and yet retaining the benefit of the complete edge portion for the treeing effect, substantially equiv- 1o.

opening may be either bored in to the ventilating 20,

area or may be effected by a saw-cut, as by a band saw, entering the rear face of the forepart and extending in, around, and out again at a spaced point, thus providing both the channel and the removed ventilating area at a single cut- 5 ting action of the band saw.

While I prefer to use wood for the body part, I may employ fibre, pressed pulp, or other suitable material, or may even make the forepart of metal with an open ventilating and side-springing 30 feature.

Referring to the drawing,

Fig. 1 is a plan view of my improved ventilating shoe tree;

Fig. 2 is a side view of the same positioned 35 within a shoe, and

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional View on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

I illustrate the invention as applied to wood, but of course the metal forepart with the lateral 40 springing feature could be utilized, if desired, and formed by stamping or otherwise.

As shown in the drawing, I designates a wooden forepart of suitable contour to simulate the forward portion of the last or shoe tree to be fitted within the forepart of the shoe for treeing of the same, usually turned from maple, or other material, or suitable wood, having a rear face 2, and a rounded toe portion 3. The central ventilating area 5 constitutes the cut-out portion of the forepart extending vertically from the top to the bottom of the last, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. To form this cut-out and ventilating portion I prefer to start a line of cut from the face 2 of the last, as shown at 6, curving the same around the interior of the forepart I, as shown approximately at 1, 8, and 9, and thereupon continuing the cut-out portion along the line H] spaced from the wall of the first cut 6, as best shown in Fig. 1, thus forming a relatively long extension l2 upon removal of the cut-out part and permitting a springing of the section l2 toward or from the main part I.

Thus a substantially lateral adjustment, viz. widthwise of the shoe and of the tree, is provided permitting the shoe tree to automatically fit a considerable range of widths, there being very little change in the extreme toe part 3 required. I have shown in dotted lines l4 and [5, Fig. 1, how the portion 12 may be sprung toward the main part I, and similarly the portion l2 may be widened to give the treeting and fitting action to shoes of varying widths.

While the inherent spring of the wood may be sufficient to permit the section l2 to function as above noted, yet I prefer to fit a spring between the members l2 and l to still further insure the widthwise and automatic adjustment of the same. For this purpose I may bore an opening l6 thru the part l2 and into the main portion l slightly as indicated at H, fitting therein a coiled spring 20 and holding it in place by a plug 21, as best shown in Fig. 1.

This construction and arrangement insures a constant spring action and even tension between the part I and the relatively movable extension 12, as will be readily appreciated.

I may, if desired, form a ventilating opening to the cut-out section 5 by simply boring thru from the face 2 into theopening 5, as indicated at 24, and thereupon form a single saw-cut thru the bored opening 24 and spread or spring the portion 12 away from the part I. Either this or other methods will readily occur to those skilled in this art, and are considered as within the scope of my present invention.

In order to provide a quick toggle and an adjustable arrangement, I fit a threaded link 25 into the forepart l, rotation of the same providing for relative longitudinal adjustment of the link 25 and, consequently, with the attached toggle members 26-26 being pivotally secured to the adjustable link 25 by a pawl 21 at one end and by a belt 28 at the opposite end to the toggle member 30 carrying the heel-engaging portion 3! and the hand or finger grip 33.

When the shoe tree has been adjusted longitudinally, by rotation of the link 25, to move the same on its thread in or out of the part I to an approximate fit to the shoe in which the tree is to be applied the forepart is then fitted within the shoe designated in dotted lines at 35, Fig. 2, the toggle members being in collapsed position. Thereupon, the heel-engaging portion 31 is fitted against the heel of the shoe and the toggle expanded by depressing the hand lever 33 until the pivot 28 is slightly below a straight line between the forward path 21 and the center of the heel-engaging portion 3!. Thereupon, the toggle is locked in position. To release the shoe the hand lever 33 is raised, breaking the toggle and withdrawing both heel and iorepart, as will be readily understood.

My improved ventilating shoe tree structure thus provides a substantially flat ventilating capacity in the forepart, together with the ventilating channel, and also with automatic widthwise adjustment for shoes of varying sizes, thereby permitting a standard wise of shoe tree to t a considerable range of footwear, the lengthwise adjustment of the toggle members affording corresponding capacity for each fitting.

The advantages of a wooden forepart are obtained in a shoe tree of the kind described and illustrated, and an economical construction capable of quantity production is secured, and thus an inexpensive and a highly efficient shoe tree is produced.

The novel feature of having the side portion I2 capable of springing, either by the inherent spring in the wood of the forepart or with the attached spring, or both, is most important as this enables the shoe tree to contact with the full Width of the interior of the shoe to which it is attached in a smooth and most efiicient action. The slight spacing preferably provided by the line of cut shown in the drawing permits a considerable yielding of the portion i2 before it will contact with the main part of the last, this space being insufiicient to break the extension l as the inherent resiliency and springing of the wood will yield to a very considerable extent both inward toward the forepart l as well as outward beyond the normal position of the extension Ii! when the spring is inserted, as above explained. Thus, a wide range is obtained for automatically fitting the shoe tree to shoes of varying widths.

If the forepart is made of metal, the springing feature of the portion it and the central ventilating portion can be stamped or cast into the central open ventilating part, and with a greater range of lateral spring to the portion. [2 than when wood is used. Also, the coiled spring 2% can, of course, be employed or a flat spring, a rubber member, or other equivalent resilient means. The open ventilating part and the side or lateral spring are important novelties, irrespective of the material employed in the forepart, and these features are believed to be broadly new.

I claim:

1. A shoe tree of the kind described, having a wooden forepart, with a center portion of the forepart completely removed, and provided with an air circulating channel therefrom, the wood of said forepart being separated at the rear face and integral at the toe portion, and yielding means between said spaced portion adjacent the rear face of the forepart.

2. The improved method of forming a shoe tree which consists in providing a wooden forepart, severing portions of the same from the rear face forwardly and removing a relatively large central area, leaving the wood integral at the toe portion, and with a spaced channel at the rear face permitting widthwise movement of the wood of the last for adjustment to fit varying widths of shoes.

3. The improved method of making a shoe tree which consists in providing a wooden forepart, forming a line of cut from the rear face of the forepart into and around a substantial area centrally of the forepart, whereby a ventilating section with an opening therefrom is produced, and thereupon attaching toggle members thereto with means to engage the rear of the shoe.

PAUL S. JONES. 

